Jane Morrow has a dilemma. She’s engaged to Seth Ballantine, a member of the National Guard’s 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, and he’s returned from Iraq severely wounded. Jane hasn’t seen him for nearly a year, and with trepidation, she heads to the VA hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, where he is being treated.

Seth isn’t happy to see her. He’d asked her not to come. He wants to end the relationship. But Jane loves him, and despite his injury, she’s determined to convince him that they can have a life together. Her faith has never been strong, yet she hopes God will answer her prayers and tell her what to do.

Beautifully written, Travelers Rest takes readers on a journey through pain and tragedy to a place of hope and redemption.

Reviews of this book“This well-written book goes beyond a typical romance novel, featuring numerous subplots that are just as compelling as the main storyline. Not all its pages are joy-filled, but its many deep themes—which include racism, forgiveness and death—will make readers think, and its unpredictable ending is surprisingly satisfying.” –Christy Pitney, CBA Retailers+Resources

“With so many injured soldiers recently returned from the Middle East, I can’t think of a more timely subject for Ann Tatlock to apply her talents to…. Tatlock’s characters are so well developed; they spring to life off the page…. Tatlock gets an A+ for diversity in her characters. She also touches heavily on the subject of racism in the south during the 1960s, in particular the impact of the Jim Crow Laws.

I adore Tatlock’s writing. She mines the emotional depth of every situation and every character and makes it seem effortless. She is honest about the unfortunate state of humanity, but hopeful at the same time. The gospel is worked into the story in a way that is fairly explicit, but never preachy.

If you look at my book review archives sorted by rating, you can see that out of over one hundred books reviewed, I’ve only given five an A+ and only one of those is fiction. I’m a ridiculously picky reader and I get really excited when I find a book that I can wholeheartedly give that grade to. So now there are six. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.” — Kate Scott, book reviewer at www.parchmentgirl.com